Comments about the "IT" movie

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USA1

Active Member
Dec 5, 2015
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71
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Most people say that the "It" trailer looks great and that they have high hopes for it. But I'll be honest, this movie just won't cut it for me. Sure if you've never read the book before, you may think it looks great, but for us who have read the 1,000+ page book, I have my issues. I don't doubt that this movie will be good, but the whole time I will be watching, I'll be thinking of how great it could have been if unhindered. Let's be honest, this book can't fit into a movie on the big screen. There is simply to much included in the book, and too much will be cut from the book to make it spectacular for us who have read the book and are expecting more. Again, I think the movie will be fine, but I just can't help but think how great this adaption could have been if adopted on HBO as originally intended and done as a mini series. Then, we wouldn't have to cut so much and would have the platform to adopt the book in its true form as intended.
 

recitador

Speed Reader
Sep 3, 2016
1,750
8,264
41
read the book probably 20 times, and i don't agree at all. i see the trailer and i think it does look great. i don't have any expectations for them to fully copy the book. as long as they're at least trying to be faithful to it (and i can already tell from the trailer they're trying to be a lot more faithful to it than the original miniseries), i'm totally good. even if they did it as a miniseries on HBO they'd never include everything, and they'd take some creative license. considering inner monologues and narration it can be hard to pull off exact translations, especially in a horror/sci fi/fantasy enterprise. now dark tower, i would have liked to see them do more with. but that's also a 7 book series.
 

AnnaMarie

Well-Known Member
Feb 16, 2012
7,068
29,564
Other
I think it looks like it will be good adaption on the book. Will it be exact? Never possible. And it doesn't actual appear they are aiming for that. It looks like it's been updated, so the adult scenes (Part 2) will be current day. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that's what they are doing.)

I know some people are upset about that....and oddly, I'm not. Lol.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
....yes, you have your issues.....no need to preach to those of us on the site....I would expect that most everyone here has read the novel a number of times...myself?, when it was first released and periodically since....the grand wish is always "why couldn't they have done MORE?", but we have come to expect at least a reasonable compromise between content and time....very seldom does the magic lightning strike and we get a great adaptation, but so far-the trailer makes the flick look promising-but all this hand wringing needs to stop until we actually watched the damn thing!.....and I count myself in that group.....I keep hoping for the "perfect" movie only to be smacked in the imagination....at last, I've decided to accept the film for what it is-someone's vision-just not mine, and to hope and pray that they get at least some of it right and it's not a complete abomination....
 

GeorgiesArm

Well-Known Member
Jun 12, 2008
141
154
A movie is not a book. Adaptations are all about capturing the spirit and the themes of a book, not about capturing every word in it on film as is. A TV series could turn out to be bad too, just look at Under The Dome. Or The Shining mini-series, which does copy the book almost does the word for word, but is an overlong, boring, cheesy and blandly directed showing as a result.

All the footage we've seen so far implies they've done an excellent job capturing the feel of the book. The filmmakers seem to understand the source material, and they obviously have a tremendous love for it. I mean, Richie wearing a Freese's t-shirt? That's a deep cut reference right there.

Just let it be an enjoyable experience by not closing your mind beforehand by getting angry for them updating or leaving out stuff. What works on the page doesn't necessarily work on film.

Also, it was never intended to be an HBO series.
 

osnafrank

Well-Known Member
Jan 24, 2017
7,121
50,822
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Germany
Read It 4 times.
It is Screenable and i am looking forward to the new Movie.
I liked the First Movie Version.
The Footage we have seen so far...looks great
I read, SK is fine with this Movie, so why should we nag.

Henry and Friends
Es_Remake_Set_32.jpg
 

Mel217

Well-Known Member
Mar 10, 2017
904
5,756
A movie is not a book. Adaptations are all about capturing the spirit and the themes of a book, not about capturing every word in it on film as is. A TV series could turn out to be bad too, just look at Under The Dome. Or The Shining mini-series, which does copy the book almost does the word for word, but is an overlong, boring, cheesy and blandly directed showing as a result.

All the footage we've seen so far implies they've done an excellent job capturing the feel of the book. The filmmakers seem to understand the source material, and they obviously have a tremendous love for it. I mean, Richie wearing a Freese's t-shirt? That's a deep cut reference right there.

Just let it be an enjoyable experience by not closing your mind beforehand by getting angry for them updating or leaving out stuff. What works on the page doesn't necessarily work on film.

Also, it was never intended to be an HBO series.
Well said!
19731showing.jpg

I'm actually excited to see the movie; the book is great as is the mini series from 1990 (IMO.) Even if the movie sucks by my standards, who cares? I still have a great book to read and a great mini series to watch :)
(Granted, I haven't seen much on the new Pennywise but I'm a stubborn old fart and feel already that Tim Curry's PW will be my favorite forever. The new PW (from what I've seen) looks pretty darned sinister but there's something about Tim's version that goes from a some-what friendly looking clown to a complete monster that's unnerving.)
 

Mel217

Well-Known Member
Mar 10, 2017
904
5,756
I also hope (hope being the operative word here) that I like the kid actors in the movie as well as the mini series. The kids in the 1990 series, IMO, were excellent in their roles. Plus, little Seth Green as a loveable smart ass? Who knew :)
 

Mel217

Well-Known Member
Mar 10, 2017
904
5,756
I don't think the film and the book have to be the same. Like GeorgiesArm said all that is really important is the essence and mood. That remains to be seen, but I amd looking forward to it.

Kubrick's version of The Shining didn't follow the book much, but I do find it to be a really well made movie with really great atmosphere and timing. I thoroughly enjoy the movie, but I enjoy the book more :) The book hedge animals freaked me out, but the hedge maze was a good solution for the movie when it came to something that wouldn't (and didn't) work well on camera (especially in the late '70's and early '80's before so many special effects.)
I'm with GeorgiesArm 100%; essence and mood matter. The Langoliers CGI was silly but the premise of the book was truly something that freaked me out. Letting your imagination go and think "What if that happened to me" really can make you start feeling weird about normal things like climbing on a plane.
 

USA1

Active Member
Dec 5, 2015
42
71
32
Again, I just want to reiterate that I think this movie will be fine, but I'm not sure why some of the earlier posters got so defensive, and went so far as to say as I was preaching on this site. I just honestly think that this book would have been much better told in a mini series (by the director of the first season of True Detective, which is one of the greatest TV shows of all time.) I read this book, and am in love with it. But with that said, I appreciate all the detail and work SK put into it and think a miniseries would work better. If you disagree with me that's fine, but please just give me reasons so we can discuss this civilly instead on getting all upset. For instance, in a 2 hour movie, I don't think Henry Bowers can be devolved enough for us to feel any sympathy for him. I worry that in a movie, Bowers will just come off as some crazy kid who is pure evil and who we all want dead. But in the novel, much of this stems from a terrible childhood led by the truly evil man, Butch Bowers. Again, I'm not defending Henry, but I just feel that in a movie as compared to a mini series he won't be devolved enough for the audience to really appreciate were he comes from as we saw in the novel.
 

USA1

Active Member
Dec 5, 2015
42
71
32
.no need to preach to those of us on the site

I'm sorry if my post came of as preachy, maybe my title to the thread was a little to strong. I simply meant to say that this novel would be better it delivered if as miseries, which can cover 12+ hours, as opposed to movie which is only around 2 hours.
 

USA1

Active Member
Dec 5, 2015
42
71
32
Henry and Friends
Es_Remake_Set_32.jpg

If that's how Henry and his crew looks, than I have high hopes. Thank you for that picture, I hadn't seem that before. They really capture that time period the book was set in and that picture does capture a lot of their evil. I hope the Losers' Club gets the best of them![/quote]
 

Nomik

Carry on
Jun 19, 2016
3,973
22,555
47
Derry, NH
Most people say that the "It" trailer looks great and that they have high hopes for it. But I'll be honest, this movie just won't cut it for me. Sure if you've never read the book before, you may think it looks great, but for us who have read the 1,000+ page book, I have my issues. I don't doubt that this movie will be good, but the whole time I will be watching, I'll be thinking of how great it could have been if unhindered. Let's be honest, this book can't fit into a movie on the big screen. There is simply to much included in the book, and too much will be cut from the book to make it spectacular for us who have read the book and are expecting more. Again, I think the movie will be fine, but I just can't help but think how great this adaption could have been if adopted on HBO as originally intended and done as a mini series. Then, we wouldn't have to cut so much and would have the platform to adopt the book in its true form as intended.
I've read it over and over. I'm just excited to see it. He doesn't give artistic dominion away on these projects! I trust the producers and I'm sure the acting and directing will be great. I'm not going to repeat what everyone had already said, instead I'll just quote them.
....yes, you have your issues.....no need to preach to those of us on the site....I would expect that most everyone here has read the novel a number of times...myself?, when it was first released and periodically since....the grand wish is always "why couldn't they have done MORE?", but we have come to expect at least a reasonable compromise between content and time....very seldom does the magic lightning strike and we get a great adaptation, but so far-the trailer makes the flick look promising-but all this hand wringing needs to stop until we actually watched the damn thing!.....and I count myself in that group.....I keep hoping for the "perfect" movie only to be smacked in the imagination....at last, I've decided to accept the film for what it is-someone's vision-just not mine, and to hope and pray that they get at least some of it right and it's not a complete abomination....
A movie is not a book. Adaptations are all about capturing the spirit and the themes of a book, not about capturing every word in it on film as is. A TV series could turn out to be bad too, just look at Under The Dome. Or The Shining mini-series, which does copy the book almost does the word for word, but is an overlong, boring, cheesy and blandly directed showing as a result.

All the footage we've seen so far implies they've done an excellent job capturing the feel of the book. The filmmakers seem to understand the source material, and they obviously have a tremendous love for it. I mean, Richie wearing a Freese's t-shirt? That's a deep cut reference right there.

Just let it be an enjoyable experience by not closing your mind beforehand by getting angry for them updating or leaving out stuff. What works on the page doesn't necessarily work on film.

Also, it was never intended to be an HBO series.
Scott and GoergiesArm make very good points. I think that The Stand was a close adaptation in the mini series format, but even that had some parts left out. I don't expect an exact recreation, but a decent adaptation.